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Xbox 360 Defective and Replacement Process...

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lemon pos
73K views 543 replies 136 participants last post by  callummcgraw 
#1 ·
Had 360 now for about 3.5 months, light use. Was working fine Dec 8 at lunch when I popped it on for a few mins to see what might be new to
download, all was well. Never had an issue to date. That evening I turn it on and get the 3 flashing lights. All the troubleshooting didn't work.

Fortunately I bought extended warranty. Call support and find out that
there is no longer free shipping to MS repair, even with warranty, new policy
as of Dec 1. So I bitch and complain and finally get them to ship it free
due to all my previous issues with trying to even buy an extended warranty
(long story, took 5 calls, 2 faxes, and 3 weeks to get).

So now I'm basically without the 360 till after the new year as both I and
the CSR agreed the chances were slim to nil of getting it back before then
with holiday shipping and days off.

So a new console used lightly and properly with no issues to date just dies
out of the blue, no warning at all. Grand :-|

In terms of the replacement process in Cnaada I understand they send new units, not refurbs so that is a plus I guess.

What expereince have people had with the return process? How long does it typically take to get the return box, ship it back, and receive a replacement unit?
 
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#68 ·
I dropped of my xbox at the repair centre in Vaughan today and found out that they don't repair the units there but send them to MS in California. Well at least I know it is now going somewhere to be fixed. No more waiting for the empty box which still never showed up.

When I first called the xbox repair number I asked them if I could drop the unit off at the Vaughan address... and they said no, each time I called them I asked again and then finally they said yes.

The company in Vaughan is more than happy to receive the units directly from the customer, but I would suggest that you get the repair number first before dropping it off.

WW:cool:
 
#69 ·
I was originally told that the Canadian repair office basically just swaps out the old unit for a new one, no actual repairs are done in Canada. However last night I was informed that the "new" unit may in fact actually be a refurb and not a new out of the box console, so you basically get what they have in stock at the time.

If your able to drop it off or willing to pay your own shipping costs it appears that is the betsway to go. At this point I am not going to fork over any more money on this due to the principle alone as MS should be standing by their word and offering the free return shipping, the customer should not be left to pay more each step of the way for a clearly defective item under warranty, however this process for whatever reason is a nightmare and I see no clear end in sight, nor does MS themselves. The customer support processes are clearly broken down with major issues, it all comes down to luck if you get a timely repair it would seem.
 
#70 ·
Well, my son's 360 died on Boxing Day (Bought in June). Nice timing. He hadn't even gotten to play Gears yet. And I havent even had a chance to try out the HD-DVD drive I got for Christmas. Called on the 27th and was given a tracking number and was told the box would be sent out. As of yesterday still had received nothing. When I got home there was a message in my voice mail sayiing there had been an error and giving me a new tracking number and that the return shipping box should be here by the end of the week. We'll see.
 
#72 ·
Well Friday came and went and no shipping box. My son called Microshaft and now they claim the box was shipped on Tuesday, despite the fact that they left the message on Monday. As it take 5 days, they say, we should have it on Monday. So...still waiting
 
#73 ·
Update....well....if you can call it that. Monday. No box. Call to Microshaft who says it will be there Tuesday. Tuesday. No box. Call to Microshaft. They say that they can contact Customer somethingorother and will have a response within 3-5 business days. WTF?? It's already been over 15 business days. I spoke with a supervisor who was of no further assistance. They say I can box it and send it myself. Of course at my expense. I asked if they would at least be willing to pay the shipping and they said they cant do it if I "choose" to ship it myself. I asked if they would be willing to authorize a retail store to exchange it for me. They can't do that either. This is simply the worst customer service I've ever had from a company. At this point I'm not ever sure if they know if the boxes have already been shipped or not. All of this BEFORE I even send the unit to them. What's going to happen once I actually send them the XBOX. My next question to them is going to be: are they going to extend my warentee by the length of time I've been without a functioning Xbox. I suspect I already know the answer to that.
 
#74 ·
My experience was bad, but you guys are going through the unbelievable. I would try the direct approach. Check out this page and pick the member of the executive you think might be most helpful (it should be really only one or two of the names there). Either phone MS at 905-568-0434 and ask to speak to the person or fax a letter to their attention at 905-568-1527.

Be balanced in your approach and recognize the general value of MS and characterize your experience as "extremely disappointing from a company you thought much higher of."

It is the approach that worked for me.
 
#77 ·
Nothing new yet. Still no box. Another call to MS and got told they would "bump it up to the next level" whatever that means. Faxed a letter to MS today. Thanks for the tip JC. We'll see what happens from here. Not holding my breath tho.
 
#79 ·
Update. I fired off a fax to Phil Sorgen, President of Microsoft Canada on Wednesday. On Friday the box showed up. I doubt that the two events are related though. Brought the Xbox to Purolator on Saturday. We'll see how long it takes to get it back. I'm guessing about a month.
 
#80 ·
Well, my 360 has finally died. I purchased my console at FS mid November, 2006. It was made in Sept./06. After about a month and a half of moderate/heavy use I started to get the odd picture freeze here and there. Then, the first week of January, I got the three red lights. I did some poking around on the net and found a few logical, low tech remedies. At first I had some success with leaving the console on, with red lights flashing, for 5 or 10 minutes then re-start and everything was ok. After a few days this no longer worked. I came very close to taking the console apart (after a few too many rye and gingers) to fix a possible problem with faulty solder that some forums suggested was the root of my troubles. (I got the error code by holding in the controller link button and pressing the DVD eject 4X.) My first two HD DVD's came in from zip.ca and I really wanted to watch them. I broke down and ended up calling MS last Wed. night. (Jan.17/07) I went through the usual routine and hope to have my shipping box on Monday. It's hard to stay optimistic with the stories on the forum so far, but with any luck I'll have a good one to add. The CSR asked me if I owned GOW yet. Maybe he was just making small talk, but I've got my fingers crossed that they are going to send it as some sort of compensation. I'll let you guys know how it goes.
 
#81 ·
I suspect the guys was just making small talk about GOW. After the hassle I had they wouldn't even agree to pay for the postage if I decided to send it out before the prepaid box arrived. If they give you GOW as a compensation I'll be some pissed. Keep us posted.
 
#82 ·
I have a quick question to ask that I haven't seen information on in this thread.

How does this prepaid box arrive ?
I too have been waiting and have been assuming it's coming via CanadaPost but it sounds like maybe it should be coming via Purolator.

BTW.
My unit died over the holidays as well, they told me 12 - 15 business days for the box to arrive. 17 days later I call only to find out that the request was mysteriously cancelled. They told me I should have my box in 3 - 4 business days. That was 6 days ago :(
 
#83 ·
The box arrives by Purolator. It comes with a prepaid sticker inside and a plastic bag to wrap the xbox in. It also comes with a short form to fill out. After sending my xbox out on Saturday I got a phonecall and email from Microsoft. I wont discuss who it was from or the nature of the call until my issue is resoved. I have made a couple of requests and I don't want to screw it up by creating a flood of similar requests. Once I get a response and resolution I'll fill you in. But things are looking better than they were a week ago.
 
#84 ·
There are two alternatives for those who don't want to deal with hassle of waiting for the box (which for some has taken months now): 1) drop it off if you live close to Vaughan, or 2) ship it at your own cost which is what I ended up doing (as I reported in an earlier post) and it cost me $20 for everything including box and bubble wrap. I know for some it is a question of principle in terms of paying for something we shouldn't be paying for. But I figured my time is worth more and I decide that I would take a "3 strikes" approach before I make this decision... so I did after making the third call and not getting a response that made me comfortable

Ironically, the box arrive a week after I shipped it!!!

Btw it took about a week to get the replacement

I'm not advocating paying for shipping, but it's worth assessing this option vs. all the hassles... and yes it does suck!
 
#85 ·
My XBOX died last week. It was about 10 months old (from when I bought it).

I read this forum first and figured it would take for ever to get my box. For whatever reason within 5 business days as promised I got a box from purolator yesterday. I quickly put the xbox in the box, called purolator back and they picked it up yesterday.

We'll see how long it takes.

The CSR did tell me that since I am in Canada it is a direct exchange and no repairs are done - she did not mention if it would be new or re-furb though.

I'm crossing my fingers that the replacement comes back soon.
 
#86 ·
I received a replacement X-Box today! It took exactly three weeks from the time I left it at the Vaughan location. I never ever received an empty box for shipping and I’m glad that I live close enough to drop it off myself.

The replacement unit looks brand new and has a newer manufacture date than my original and it came with a face plate installed, which is great since I sent mine without one as per the repair department instructions.

Here is what I’ve learned; the units that are sent to the Vaughan location are not repaired there, they are shipped directly to a repair center in Texas. The repair center then decides either to repair or replace and sends the unit back to the Vaughan location where they are then shipped directly back to the customer. This happens for all units received at the Vaughan location, whether dropped off or shipped there originally.

Good luck to everyone that has still not had their units replaced or repaired… I feel your pain.:(

WW
 
#87 ·
I received my return box from Purolator today. It took 5 business days from when I called. I will drop it off tomorrow morning. So far everything is going as planned. (Except for the whole console dying after 6 weeks thing.) Fingers still crossed.
 
#88 ·
That's a bit rediculous. So if I live in Vancouver the box goes to Ontario then Texas, then back to Ontario then back to Vancouver. Seems like a very odd way of doing things. Especially since I'm only a couple hours drive from MS headquarters in Redmond.

After the hassle I had and the letter I faxed to Phil Sorgen, I received a call from one of his assistants. They offered to arrange for me to exchange my Xbox at a local retailer. Unfortunately the box came on Friday and I sent it out on Saturday...before the phonecall came on Monday. I asked if, as compensation they would replace it with the Second Gen 360 Zephyr (hey, it was worth a try). Was told that they have no information on the Zephyr yet. All that they were willing to do is expedite my repair. Who knows....maybe they'll still throw me a bone of some kind.
 
#89 ·
I actually don't think they go to Texas before replacements are shipped. I think they simply ship out refurbished boxes from Ontario and then ship the defective ones to Texas for repair to put back into refurb inventory.

There certainly wasn't enough time in my transaction for a Texas two-step.

As far as the idea of asking for a Zephyr ... nice try;) I did get an offer from MS for a token of their appreciation in light of all the difficulty I went through. I would suggest you provide some alternatives to them ....
 
#95 ·
Yes, the first part of the process is they confirm your purchase date for when they regoster the console. Tooks me 2 weeks a number of calls and 2 faxes to even get a warranty purchased. Having the receipt is important, although with the new 1 year warranty there may be less hassles.
 
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